Despite the large list of contraindications and a multitude of side effects, antibiotics are a very necessary drug that has saved more than one life. Because only antibiotics can destroy bacteria in the body that cause dangerous diseases.
In the days before these drugs were invented, many people died from bacterial infections. Many diseases were considered incurable due to the lack of such drugs.
Antibiotics must not be taken without a doctor's prescription and it is very important to follow the intake rules. In addition, you need to know that antibiotics are incompatible with alcohol. Answers to all questions about taking antibiotics can be found in this article.
Antibiotic rules
The most important rule when taking antibiotics is to only use them where it is no longer possible to do without them. Areas of application are the symptoms of an acute bacterial infection that the body cannot cope with on its own. In order to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, antibiotics cannot be taken indiscriminately.
Be sure to follow the instructions below:
- You cannot prescribe an antibiotic yourself without medical advice. Only a doctor can determine the cause of the disease - a virus or a bacterium. With a viral infection, antibiotics do not help, on the contrary, they can aggravate the course of the disease;
- You cannot stop the prescribed treatment when you are feeling better. A relapse of the disease can occur;
- Do not change the dosage of the antibiotic during treatment. Decreasing the dosage threatens the bacterium to develop resistance to the drug, and increasing it is fraught with side effects or overdosing;
- You can not drink the antibiotic with tea, juice, and especially milk, otherwise it will be useless to take the drug. Milk, milk products and fermented milk products are incompatible with antibiotics, they reduce the effectiveness of the drug. You can drink the drug only with water, about 0. 5-1 glass;
- You cannot take antibiotics at any convenient time. It is important to follow the directions for the medication and use the medication as directed, namely: before, during, or after a meal. In addition, it is important to note the frequency of administration (1 time in 24 hours, 2 times in 12 hours, 3 times in 8 hours, etc. ) in order to achieve the desired concentration of the antibiotic in the body.
- Do not combine antibiotic use with physical activity;
- You can not drink alcohol while taking antibiotics.
Before prescribing an antibiotic, it is important to inform the doctor about the following:
- Medication currently being taken;
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- Kidney or liver disease;
- Diabetes mellitus.
And even if observed earlier:
- the occurrence of side effects;
- the development of allergic reactions;
- new use of antimicrobials.
When can I drink alcohol after completing the antibiotic course?
Different antibiotics have different active ingredients. Accordingly, each drug has its own elimination conditions from the body. In one case this is a short time and alcohol can be consumed the next day, in the other case 7 days of alcohol abstinence is required.
The necessary information is usually given by the manufacturer in the note on the preparation. If it is missing, it is preferable to wait 10 days. In addition, this period should be at least doubled if you have kidney or liver problems.
How long after alcohol can you drink antibiotics?
Alcohol is completely eliminated from the body 21 hours after the last ingestion. After this time, you can take the prescribed antibiotics. In any case, it is better to reduce your alcohol consumption as much as possible when attending a course.
Reasons for intolerance to alcohol and antibiotics
Aside from the fact that taking antibiotics puts considerable strain on the kidneys and liver, and taking them with alcohol only makes the situation worse because ethanol slows down the work of the excretory systems, there is another important reason for the intolerance.
All substances that get into the human body begin to dissolve until only the original components are left. This also happens with alcohol and antibiotics. The danger of simultaneous administration is that antibiotic molecules are similar to alcohol molecules. The body cannot properly see what leads to failure.
Alcohol is perceived by the body as a drug, which causes the alcohol molecules to be incorrectly processed by the body.
Consequences of non-compliance with the antibiotic intake rules
In the event of violations of the rules for taking antibiotics, as well as the wrong choice of a drug or incorrectly prescribed treatment regimen, undesirable side effects often occur.
These include:
- Dysbacteriosis. It is caused by an imbalance between the body's healthy and pathogenic microflora that occurs the moment the pathogenic bacteria begin to quantitatively outnumber the bacteria that perform the protective functions of the body. Dysbacteriosis manifests itself in the form of candidiasis or repeated diarrhea.
- Allergic reaction. The individual intolerance to the components of the drug plays an important role. Allergic reactions vary, including irreversible ones.
- Antibiotic resistance of bacteria. Pathogenic microorganisms can adapt to the active ingredient of the antibiotic, you just have to loosen the "grip". They continue their reproduction and the disease continues accordingly.
Only a serious attitude towards taking antibiotics will achieve the required therapeutic effect.
What antibiotics are strictly prohibited with alcoholic beverages?
There are antibiotics, the simultaneous consumption of which with alcoholic beverages is strictly forbidden. It is essential to include this information in the medicinal product note, and the doctor prescribing the antibiotic must advise the patient of this.
These drugs include the following antibiotics:
- Group of tetracyclines. Preparations based on them are often used in medicine, have a wide spectrum of action;
- Chloramphenicol group. This group of drugs often causes side effects and, when combined with alcohol, can increase the toxic effect of the drug;
- Group of lincosamides. When taken at the same time with alcoholic beverages, it has a negative effect on the liver and central nervous system;
- Group of aminoglycosides. This group of drugs is one of the most powerful among the antibiotics. Poor tolerance to other drugs, not to mention alcohol
- The group of cephalosporins. Consuming alcohol together causes symptoms of severe intoxication of the body, which leads to a sharp deterioration in well-being;
- Macrolide group. The combination of alcohol and an antibiotic has a strong toxic effect on the liver and brain;
- Antibiotics to treat tuberculosis;
- Antibiotics used to treat leprosy.
There are also drugs on the pharmacological market for which the annotation does not contain any information on the interaction with alcohol.
The lack of information about the combination with alcohol by no means means that the combination is permissible. There is no need to expose the body to unnecessary risks.
Possible consequences of the combination of antibiotic and alcohol
How a certain organism will react to the simultaneous ingestion of liquids containing alcohol and antibiotics cannot be predicted. The damage can be done to any area of the body.
However, there are the most common consequences:
- Severe allergic reactions;
- Severe excruciating headache;
- Dizziness;
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain, oppressive character;
- A sharp rise or fall in blood pressure;
- Clouding of mind;
- Heavy sweating;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Liver damage;
- Exacerbated intoxication and hangovers;
- The need to repeat the course of antibiotics. Alcohol reduces or destroys the effectiveness of the drug.
The consequences can be even worse, it all depends on the individual and his or her health. Negative consequences are always the suffering of the organism, in whole or in part. The negative effects can easily be avoided by simply omitting alcohol along with antibiotics.
It is important to know that currently only a fraction of all antibiotics have been proven incompatible with alcohol in clinical studies. The rest of the drugs remain in doubt or not fully understood.
A person himself needs to understand the onset of possible consequences and focus on drugs with already studied incompatibility with ethanol. Responsibility for your health should take precedence over all living conditions related to alcohol consumption.
And in order to achieve the best result of treatment, it is necessary to refrain from alcohol, even the weakest.